Deidre Hall's Kitchen Closeup

How do those women you see on the tube decade after decade keep it glued together? Deidre Hall, best known to many as the ever-patient, impossibly good Dr. Marlena Evans for more than thirty years on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, is obviously having fun with this. Along with her longtime pal Lynne Bowman, Hall includes you in the conversation about food, friends, shopping, and cooking. In the hour or less it might take you to pour yourself a cuppa, sit down and read it through, you will have had more than a few laughs-out-loud, and you may also think differently about some things. There are great recipes in the book, but this is not any kind of challenge to the tall-hat chefs of the world. Hall and Bowman are sharing information about what you might actually do in your kitchen. The duo claim they are finally over the soggy, the greasy, the boring and the indigestible in every area of life, and they’re intent on sharing their hard-won wisdom about slapping it on the table when it has to be fast, cheap, look good, taste great, and make your hair shiny. Expect to find solid nutritional information you didn’t already know, along with kitchen management tips, all wrapped in a surprisingly charming package. Also expect some straight talk about how to eat -- the kind you only get from that one pal who really tells you how it is. Hall and Bowman are dishy and fun, but not so down-and-dirty you wouldn’t want your Aunt Ruth or your 11-year-old to read it, too. In fact, especially if your Aunt Ruth has ever secretly curled up in front of the soaps, this is an ideal gift.

How do those women you see on the tube decade after decade keep it glued together? Deidre Hall, best known to many as the ever-patient, impossibly good Dr. Marlena Evans for more than thirty years on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, is obviously having fun with this. Along with her longtime pal Lynne Bowman, Hall includes you in the conversation about food, friends, shopping, and cooking. In the hour or less it might take you to pour yourself a cuppa, sit down and read it through, you will have had more than a few laughs-out-loud, and you may also think differently about some things. There are great recipes in the book, but what's particularly great about them is they're the kind of thing you will actually make, and then make again -- every week -- because they are incredibly simple, forgiving, and yummy to boot. So good, in fact, you'll forget that they're vegetarian and extremely healthy. The idea behind Kitchen Closeup is to get you thinking a little differently about your food routines, to get you re-inspired with how simple it is to make good, fresh, food for yourself and your family. The book is small and light, meant to be carried with you to the store: it includes lists of what to buy organically, what to get as inexpensively as you can, and what to try and always have on hand. It's a great book for non-cooks, beginner cooks, very young cooks.

Delighting her fans for more than thirty years as Dr. Marlena Evans on NBC’s Days of our Lives, Deidre has emerged as one of Daytime’s most beloved actresses, spanning all demographics and regions. She has been the only actress to simultaneously star in a daytime and a prime-time drama (Our House), the only daytime star to twice grace the cover of People Magazine, the only daytime actress to star and executive produce a ratings winning autobiographical movie of the week, Never Say Never, the only star to win five “best actress” awards from Soap Opera Digest, and the only daytime star to attract more than 3,000 fans for lunch at the famed Hollywood Palladium. As a role model for millions of women, Deidre set the bar high for herself and for fans who have welcomed her into their homes for more than three decades. They voted for her consistently in the popularity polls keeping her #1 for years on end. Even toy giant Mattel jumped in on the action with their popular Marlena Evans doll. Deidre created the character Jessie Witherspoon in the family drama Our House, which won her the ”best actress” award from Viewers For Quality Television for two consecutive years. She also has starred in ten movies of the week including Tom Clancy’s Op Center and the Vince Bugliosi mini-series, And The Sea Will Tell. Her A&E “Intimate Portrait” ranks one of the highest rated in their history, but it was her autobiographical movie of the week, Never Say Never, a repeated ratings winner for ABC, that helped raise social awareness about the miracle of surrogacy. Her story was so compelling that that it prompted People Magazine to put her on their cover twice, adding to more than 80 magazine covers including Mc Calls, Family Circle, Redbook, The Hollywood Reporter and a record four times on the cover of TV Guide. Known for her elegance onscreen and off, Deidre has been included on the “best dressed” lists for years. She has hosted for the Family Channel, The Tournament of Roses Parade, The Daytime Emmy Awards and twice for the Soap Opera Digest Awards, as well as guest-hosting many daytime talk shows. She is a favorite guest on the talk show circuit and never fails to entertain with her quick wit and personal stories, while also pulling big numbers on Oprah, Regis and Kelly, Ellen, Rosie O’Donnell, The Tonight Show and scores of others. Deidre is a confident, articulate and inspiring public speaker on the subjects of children, women and health issues, and became the spokeswoman for the National Alzheimer’s Association after her father succumbed to the disease. She has been nominated for three Emmys and received two Peoples Choice Awards as well as being honored by the American Women in Radio and Television Association. Her charitable involvement and contributions include Childhelp USA, the Revlon Breast Cancer Foundation, The Ronald Mc Donald House, P.A.T.H. (People Assisting The Homeless) Habitat For Humanity, and Aids walk L.A. She has also created a Days Of Lives calendar and cookbook, the proceeds all of which go to St. Jude’s Research Hospital for Children. She has been an advocate of green living, dedicating herself to the fight for nutritional lunches in American schools. Now, in her latest role, she has become an author and publisher, with Bowman Hall Publishing’s first title, Deidre Hall’s Kitchen Closeup, released to rave reviews in July, 2010. Deidre Hall is the devoted mother of two teenage boys, and resides in Los Angeles, California, with her sons.